


Changing Leaves

by ineedhelpwithmylifern



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: 2021 Ninjago Calendar, Post Season 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedhelpwithmylifern/pseuds/ineedhelpwithmylifern
Summary: The leaves are changing and fall is coming. Fitting for Akita to stumble her way in.September Fic for the Ninjago Calendar!!
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18
Collections: Ninjago Calendar





	Changing Leaves

**Author's Note:**

> hi i love akita, and heres the FIC.

"As for Lloyd, my brother thinks I will never see him again. But I think he is wrong. 'Never' is a very long time."

* * *

Akita opened her eyes. Another day had gone by, and yet she saw no way to be able to find a way to another realm.

Lloyd's appearance had only fueled her wants to see what was beyond. And as the snow swirled around her, she wanted to find a way to him, a way to see things other than the snow and desert and mountains. Something new.

She exited her camp, hurrying away and closer to the downhill slopes of the still mountain. She had done so much, and yet she wanted to see and be in a new place, to breathe new air, to be away from the cold of the NeverRealm.

And yet, Kataru was busy with other things...

He had duties to do, to attend to, to focus on. She was off on her own for now.

She dashed through the drift, jumping over another with a single leap.

Akita looked down the side of the mountain, grinning to herself. Time for a little fun. She jumped onto the slope, skidding down the icy rocks. She cheered to herself, feeling exhilarated.

Feeling her wolf form overtake her, she began to sprint down the mountainside. 

If anything, her animal form was something that calmed her. She felt the wolf inside her and its power resonated within her. They were one. And it felt amazing to have the wind blow through her fur.

Her paws slid through the snow. She jumped from rock to rock to the ground again. She wanted to go, to explore.

She made it down into the valley, her pace never slowing. Her paws dug into the snow as she ran. She kicked it out behind her, gaining speed as she bounded through.

And then something caught her eye.

She slid to a stop, her gaze focused on one thing.

A magnificent white dragon stood, the snow swirling around its massive wings. Its hind legs were resting in the snow, the front ones tracing through the snow. It made eye contact with her, and it felt as if it was searching her soul for something. She stood and watched it, her breath clouding in front of her in the cold air, as the dragon's was the same.

She stepped forward, her paw sinking slightly. The dragon dipped its head to her, before it beat its wings, rising into the air. It hovered as if waiting for her.

Akita ran ahead, growing closer to the dragon, she needed to catch up.

The next few moments were a blur. A portal, snow turning to hard ground, and the loud sound of wingbeats above her.

She emerged into the sunlight.

The biting chill of the wind of the NeverRealm was gone, and a warm breeze blew through her fur. She stopped in her tracks.

She wasn't in her home realm anymore.

The dragon was high above her, and she could've sworn it winked at her before disappearing.

Akita stood in silence. 

The sun here was... Bright and warm. The air was more soothing than biting. And it was unlike the summers in the NeverRealm- the grass here was greener and more full and-

The trees.

The sight of all the colors took her breath away.

The leaves of the trees were a multitude of oranges and yellows and reds. 

And better yet, the leaves were falling down all around her, the wind taking some down and making them float.

It was beautiful.

Akita began to run through the woods, kicking up leaves behind her.

A new place.

* * *

Lloyd sat underneath an old oak tree, training having been moved to the forest in the Monastery's valley. It was a nice enough day to be out here, the sun and wind making it warm. He laid back his head on the tree with a sigh.

Jay yelled triumphantly. He won something for once. "Ha! You cannot-"

"Can't what?" Cole picked him up and threw him into one of the trees. "Have fun being stuck up there."

"Cole!" He shouted, holding onto the branch as tight as he could. "This is unfair!"

"Should've thought about that first, Bluebird." Cole had a smile on his face as he looked up at the blue ninja.

Lloyd snickered to himself.

"Don't think I can't hear you either, Lloyd!" Jay called from his spot in the tree. "Nya, can you-"

"Can't you just jump down?" Nya scoffed, leaning against the tree.

"Then I'll admit defeat!"

"Then why are you asking for help?"

"Well uh-" Jay shut his mouth, obviously defeated.

Lloyd looked off to the side, running his hand through the leaves on the ground.

"I didn't know there were wolves in these woods," Kai spoke up, returning to the group with Zane. So their match was over too.

Nya raised an eyebrow at him. "Wolves?"

"Howling," Kai gestured in front of him, "You heard it too, right? Zane?"

"I did pick up on it, but it wasn't enough to distract me as it did you," Zane spoke matter-of-factly, "I won the sparring match because of it."

"That doesn't matter," Kai glared, "I just didn't know! I was surprised."

"By howling?" His sister scoffed.

"I don't know, but-!"

And sure enough, there was the howling. They all stood in silence, listening to the call of the animal.

"Hah!" Kai laughed, "I told you!"

"Doesn't it sound close?" Jay worried.

Something quickly streaked through the clearing. It kicked up leaves in its wake, a blur of white appearing and disappearing in seconds. It took them a few moments before anyone spoke up.

"What was that?!" He shouted from the branches of the tree. He seemed to have lost balance for a moment, slipping but climbing back on as quickly as he could.

The white fur. The howling. "Akita!" Lloyd gasped, sitting up.

Nya turned her head to stare at Lloyd. "Akita?! How would she have gotten here?"

"I don't know!" He replied hesitantly. "I-" He stood and began his chase of the wolf.

"Lloyd!" Someone called, but he was already on his chase.

The woods around the Monastery were breathtaking around this time of year. Autumn was the time these trees felt... Different. Lloyd was always so used to the green or the blinding chill of the winter around Darkley's. But this season... The colors felt new to him, and it had been his favorite ever since, being the green ninja having no impact. The warm colors of the fall were much more welcoming to him.

He jumped over a tree root that was protruding from the ground then ducked under a few tree branches.

He needed to catch up.

Suddenly, the ground sloped down, and Lloyd slipped down the hill. He rolled down it, through a pile of leaves down at the bottom of the slope. He sat up, the leaves billowing around him. He turned his gaze around the area, and upon seeing the wolf running a different direction, he got up and began the chase anew. 

Brushing the dirt off his gi as he ran, he weighed the chances that it was Akita. Even if it ended up not being her, he could still try and catch up to it.

He was growing tired.

He was coming up to a clearing, fast, and the wolf was standing right in the middle. He needed to get there before it left. He picked up his pace. He was approaching it-

"Akita?" Lloyd skidded to a stop, right behind the snow-white wolf. His breathing was heavy, he was tired. How she could run so fast was a mystery- other than the fact she was a wolf, but that didn't matter right now.

The wolf turned around slowly, its paws slightly kicking the leaves around. Its eyes met Lloyd's, and it jumped backward with a bark.

"Akita!" He laughed, and the wolf was enveloped in shining light, and of course, there stood the Formling herself.

"Lloyd!" She yelled, and the two of them stood still for a moment before she jumped in for a hug. 

She pulled away quickly, not because of hesitance or awkwardness, but because of her excitement. "Lloyd! You're really here- I was wondering where I was, and like, dude-" She had a wide smile on her face, "Have you seen all of this? All the colors, and the light, and- It's so different!"

Lloyd really didn't know what to say. "How did you get here?"

"A dragon!" Akita spoke, "It made a portal and I went through it, and now I'm here!"

"A dragon?"

"I dunno why, but," She shook her head, "It seemed to know I wanted to see you, and the others-" She paused, "Where are the others? I thought I saw all of you, that's why I had to stop, but-"

Lloyd stopped. "The others, I left them behind," He ran a hand through his hair, "Oops-"

"Not a surprise," Akita smiled, waving it off, "They'll get here eventually."

"What do you mean it isn't a surprise?!"

"That doesn't matter, I-"

"Akita?" Nya had made it into the area, and the others were not far behind.

"Nya!" She called, waving them over.

And soon the rest of the ninja were there- except for Jay, who Lloyd who could only guess was still up the tree, left behind. Akita seemed so happy, though.

"How did you get here?" Cole asked and she shrugged.

"A dragon, but I wanna know about the colors, the leaves, the trees." She laughed, almost breathless.

"You mean Autumn?" Zane spoke up and she nodded. He lit up. "So, when Ninjago starts to grow closer to winter and therefore colder, the trees, they begin to-"

* * *

Cole and Kai were holding Lloyd by the arms and legs, right next to a pile of leaves they had collected. Lloyd didn't know that this was the reason why until now.

"Guys- guys, stop!" Lloyd sputtered as the two of them began to swing. Akita laughed and the Green Ninja turned his glare on her. "You're no help!"

"It's your own fault," She snorted, "You deserve it."

"What- no-!" Lloyd cut himself off with a shout as he was thrown into the pile of leaves. When he landed, leaves flew out everywhere around the group. A few moments passed before he sat up out of the leaves, spitting some out of his mouth. "Thanks, guys."

"No problem," Kai was smirking, "You needed it."

"Wow, thanks," He narrowed his eyes at the fire elemental. 

"My turn!" Akita cheered, backing up and getting ready to run.

"Wait, wait-" Lloyd spoke, trying to move out of the way. But it was too late, she was already jumping in-

He laughed as she landed next to him, and soon they were all jumping in and out of the pile. 

It was almost perfect.

_Almost._

A shout caught all of their attention, and there stood Jay, looking quite exasperated.

"Why did you guys leave me behind?" He gasped as he finally caught up to the rest of the ninja in the clearing, "I spent so long trying to get down out of that tree! And no one even tried to help me!"

"Sorry about that," Lloyd murmured sheepishly.

"Thanks! Now leaving me out, are we?" He huffed, crossing his arms.

"Alright then, Bluebell," Cole hummed, nodding to Kai, "How about we get you to join in?"

"What do you mean?" Jay looked between them skeptically, as if they were about to do something to him. 

And they did.

Jay was thrown into the leaves just as Lloyd was minutes before.

* * *

Akita laid in the leaves in her wolf form, the setting sun warming her back. She was breathing slowly, asleep. Lloyd was laid out, his head resting by her side. The rest of the ninja were all around, talking about little things, or in Jay's case, asleep as well.

Akita wouldn't trade it for the world.

Kataru was wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> check out my [tumblr](https://nalanoola.tumblr.com) pretty please?
> 
> and please be sure to look at the rest of the calendar when it all comes out!!!


End file.
